ATTN: Male Veterans

STUDY SHOWS AGENT ORANGE HARMED SEXUAL HEALTH OF MALE VIETNAM VETERANS
-- Higher dioxin exposure is associated with decreased testosterone
levels. -- "It is known that lower Testosterone levels are associated with
decreased sexual function, decreased muscle mass and strength,
infertility, increased fatigue, depression and reduced bone density."
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/nov2006/2006-11-15-03.

Agent Orange Harmed Sexual Health of Male Vietnam Vets;
DALLAS, Texas, (ENS) - A toxic chemical contained in the herbicide
Agent Orange affects male reproductive health by limiting the growth of the
prostate gland and lowering testosterone levels, researchers have
found in a study of more than 2,000 Vietnam War Air Force veterans.

Published in the November issue of the journal "Environmental Health
Perspectives," the study indicates that exposure to TCDD, the most toxic
of the dioxin family of chemicals contained in Agent Orange, may
disturb the male endocrine and reproductive systems in several ways.

"Until now, we did not have very good evidence whether or not dioxins
affect the human reproductive system," said Dr. Amit Gupta, a urologist
at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the study's
lead author.

"Now we know that there is a link between dioxins and the human
prostate leading us to speculate that dioxins might be decreasing the growth
of the prostate in humans like they do in animals," he said.

Agent Orange is an herbicide that was developed for military use in
Vietnam to deny cover and concealment to enemies of the United States and
its allies.

The researchers found that veterans exposed to dioxin had lower
incidence rates of benign prostate hyperplasia, BPH, a disease that is caused
by an enlargement of the prostate.

Patients must strain to pass urine and they urinate frequently. BPH can
lead to complications such as an inability to urinate and urinary
tract infection.

Although the study found fewer incidences of disease, Dr. Gupta
cautioned that the finding should not be interpreted as a positive result.

"It may be construed that a decrease in the risk of BPH is not a
harmful effect, but the larger picture is that dioxins are affecting the
normal growth and development of the reproductive system," he said.

"Several effective treatments are available for BPH," Dr. Gupta said,
"and thus reduction of BPH by a toxic compound is not a desirable
effect."

Dr. Claus Roehrborn, professor and chairman of urology at UT
Southwestern and a study author, said, "We know that dioxin causes many endocrine
disturbances in the human body. The study indirectly proves that BPH
is an endocrine disorder."

The study was based on data from the Air Force Health Study, an
epidemiologic study of more than 2,000 Air Force veterans who were responsible
for spraying herbicides, including Agent Orange, during the Vietnam
War.

This group is called the Ranch Hand group because the spray program was
called Operation Ranch Hand.

A comparison group was made up of veterans who served in Southeast Asia
during the same time period, 1962-1971, but were not involved in the
spraying program and so were exposed to dioxins at levels equivalent to
the general population.

The veterans were interviewed and underwent physical examinations and
lab tests during six examination cycles. The first cycle was conducted
in 1982, so the veterans were followed for more than 20 years.

"We found that the risk of developing BPH decreased with increasing
exposure to dioxins in the comparison group," said Dr. Arnold Schecter,
professor of environmental sciences at the UT School of Public Health
Regional Campus at Dallas and a study author.

"The risk of developing BPH was 24 percent lower in the group with the
highest dioxin levels compared to the group with the lowest levels. In
the Ranch Hand group, the risk of BPH tended to decrease with increased
exposure to dioxins, but at extremely high exposure levels there was a
tendency for the risk to increase."

The study shows that higher dioxin exposure is associated with
decreased testosterone levels, Dr. Gupta said.

"It is known that lower testosterone levels are associated with
decreased sexual function, decreased muscle mass and strength, infertility,
increased fatigue, depression and reduced bone density," Dr. Gupta said.
"However, we could not conclude from this study that dioxin exposure
did lead to any of these adverse affects in the veterans in the study."

There has been a rise in disorders of the male reproductive tract over
the past several decades, including a decrease in sperm production by
almost 50 percent.

Scientists also have found a four-fold increase in testicular cancer,
and increases in the incidence of undescended testes and abnormality of
the urethra.

The reason for this increase is not known, but it is thought that these
disorders might be caused by environmental chemicals that are
estrogenic and have endocrine disrupting effects, Dr. Gupta said.

Dioxins are among the most toxic substances known and are thought to be
partially responsible for this increase in male reproductive tract
disorders. They are formed as byproducts of processes such as
incineration, smelting, paper and pulp manufacturing and pesticide and herbicide
production.

Humans are exposed to these chemicals primarily through consumption of
animal fat and dairy products. Babies are exposed to the highest levels
of dioxins through breast milk.

Dioxins are eliminated extremely slowly from the body and they tend to
stay in the body for up to several decades after exposure.

Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange have suffered serious and
life-threatening conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes
prostate cancer, respiratory cancers, multiple myeloma, Type II
diabetes, Hodgkins disease, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and spina bifida as among
the diseases resulting from exposure to the herbicide.

The study points out the necessity to conduct additional environmental
studies of the impact of dioxins and other toxins on the male
reproductive system, the authors say. Previous research was largely based on
animal models.

http://www.vawatchdog.org/nfNOV06/nf111706-3.htm